Shirt collar construction



May 28, 1946.

E. O. HIRSCH SHIRT COLLAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 4, 1946 Patented May 28, 1946 e UNITED` STATES 'PATENT OFFICE SHIRT COLLAR CONSTRUCTION Emanuel Hirsch, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 4, 1946,Sc1ial No. .638,980

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved shirt collar construction of the so-c'alled soft collar type, which is provided with wa particular internal reinforcement that obviates st-arching of the collar .while providing a smooth-lying,

neat appearance. g

In the past a number of expedients have been proposed for `providing a vsoit collar which, Without the necessity oi starching thesame, will lie smoothly and without `wrinkles about the neck of the wearer, and the ends of which will not tend unduly to curl upwardly or to spread away from the neck of the wearer.

This has been accomplished in aplurality of ways, as, for example, by the provision of stiiening means of metal or plastic composition in the form of inserts or attachments located primarily within or fastened to the'wings of the top of the collar, i. e., the turned-down portion, as contrasted with the band, by which is` meant that portion which is either permanently o r removably secured to the neckband of the shirt. Many of these stifening Ymeans, e. g., those adapted to be inserted in pockets in the collar, suffer from the defect that they become visible on the exterior face of the top portion ofthe collar, particularly when the same is ironed, the outline of the reinforcing being quite marked and hence objectionable. Other types of stiiening means have been in the form of metal members designed to co-operate with the wings of the collar and often tear or otherwise damage the fabric. Any of the removable stiiening inserts and attachments are frequently lost by the wearer, or if inadvertently left in the shirt, may be misplaced by the laundry. VOften the shirt is laundered with the inserts or attachments in place so that rusting ofthe metal or melting of the plastic composition damages the garment.

Some types of collars include wings having buttonholes for engagement with buttons on the bosom of the shirt in order to attain a smoothlying effect. Such construction suffers from the disadvantages that the buttons may be broken or torn oi, and in the case of a collar which has been starched too liberally, the attachment of the wings to the buttons is extremely difcult;

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide a soft collar which does not require starching or buttoning and which isprovided with an integral or separable reinforcement which, while giving the greatest amount of stiffness to the wings or ends of the collar, gradually diminishes in thickness toward the center of the collar so that it willy lie smoothly about the neck of the Wearerwandwithout undue bulk being im.V parted to the collar. By center of the collar, I refer to a point midway between the two ends or wings and measured peripherally of the collar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a soft collar having a reinforcement as aforesaid, which consists of a plurality of cascaded or stepped adjacent layers of reinforcing material so arranged that the reinforcement is thickest at vthe ends or wings of the collar and thinnest toward 'the center thereof.

An additional object resides in the provision ora reinforcement as aforesaid in which the several steps of theY Vadjacent layers lie on the inside -of the top of the collar in order that ironing of the coll-ar will not impress the `steps on the exterior of the top.

Another object 'is to provide a reinforcement as aforesaid solely of textile fabric intended to remain a part of the garment and thus subject to no special problems in so far as the laundering thereof is concerned.

Other objects Will appear from scription hereinbelow.

In the drawing accompanying the present specificationz Fig. 1 is `a plan view of the collar with both top andrband shown in the same plane, the view being partially in section. In this View Vthe exterior face of the top is shown uppermost;

Fig, 2 is a cross-sectional view, on Va considerably enlarged scale, taken along the line 2-2 of Fie. 1; and Fig. 3 is a purely diagrammatic view of the reinforcing element which is positioned within the further dethe 130.13.

as by sewing, is the top 7, the line of junction being indicated generally at 3, and whichk line corresponds to the turn of the collar when worn. To the foregoing extent the construction outlined j is conventional.

TopA 1 comprises an exterior. fabric layer or layers il and an interior fabric layer or layers 9 folded in any conventional manner at the margins and sewed or otherwise united, as indicated the hem, and then united to the band 4. The

foregoing constitutes conventional collar construction except for the incorporation of the reinforcement.

Such reinforcement, shown diagrammaticallyin Fig. 3, comprises a layer I5 substantially coincident with the areal extent of the top 'I i. e. of the same depth thereas (Figl 1), the layer I5 being of suitably sized textile fabric having some degree of stiffness, Such sizing may be accomplished by any known method, and may be of plastic material not capable of being adversely affected by the laundering and pressing operations. It is comprehended that the reinforcement may be of felt, plastic, or other composition, or of any material lending itself to the attainment of the desired objects.

Superimposed on the layer I5 and on that surface thereof disposed toward the inside of the top as worn, is a pair of second reinforcing layers I6 coinciding with the areal extent of the layer I 5 i. e. of the same depththereas, positioned in the region of the collar points or wings I I (Fig. 1) and terminating inwardly along a line substantially transversely of the collar as indicated at I8. Layers I6 may be made integral With the layer I5 by stitching along lines 2I, by cementing, or otherwise. It is to be noted that layers I6 are terminated at points approximately one-third of the width of the collar from the extremities thereof but that such points are not limitative, it being within the scope of my invention to extend the layers I 5 over any desired zones adjacent the ends of the collar.

In turn, superimposed on the layers I6 are the layers or plies 23 stepped back from the layers I5, as shown, and coextensive therewith at the wing or tip portions II of the collar, the line of juncture with the layers I5 and It being indicated at 24. Adjacent the layers 23 are the layers or plies 25 stepped back with respect to the layers 23 and joined to the underlying layers as at 25. It will be understood that layers 23 and 25 are coextensive at the wings I'I with the layer I5 in a manner similar to the layers I6. Moreover, it will be apparent that I may, if desired, join succeeding layers to those shown and described, and that all of the layers need not be joined to the layer I5 but may bel joined to each other. Additionally, I may alternate the lay f the plies, i. e., the warp threads of one ply may cross the warp threads of a juxtaposed ply, it having been found that certain fabrics suitable for use in my reinforcement possess greater.

ternatively the layer I may extend slightly beyond the two sets of additional reinforcing layers,

then folded back over the layers and sewed thereto prior to the uniting of the reinforcingunit with the layers 8 and 9,. A similar method may be followed with respect to the lower edge of the layer I5 which may be folded over the adjacent aligned lower edges of the layers I6, 23, and 25 and sewed thereto prior to the uniting of the reinforcing unit with the layers 8 and 9. It is to be understood, however, that the particular mode of uniting the layers comprising the reinforcing unit to each other may take any desired form, and that the mode of uniting the reinforcing unit to the inner and outer layers 8 and S, respectively, of the collar top may take any of several forms, one construction being shown in Fig- 2, an important consideration being that the ply I5 of the reinforcing unit be coextensive with4 the area of the finished collar top and that the outer edges of the plies I 6, 23, and '25 be coterminous with the top and bottom edges as well as the outer lateral edge of the finished top.

It will be understood that the line of junction 3, i. e., the turn between the top and band of the collar, is not sharply creased, but rounded, in order to receive the cravat. Accordingly it is necessary that the upper edge of the inner reinforcement hereinbefore detailed be terminated sufficiently short of the said junction in order not to interfere with the desired soft or rounded turn. If desired, the reinforcing unit may lie freely within the pocket formed by the layers 8 and 9, or I may provide simply an open pocket combined with the top of the collar into which the reinforcing unit may be loosely inserted or removed therefrom. Such open pocket may be formed by the layers 8 and 9. Additionally, the collar may have separate pockets coextensive with the wings and separate tapered reinforcements therein.

From the foregoing it will be comprehended that I have provided a graduated collar-stiffening core or filler comprising a, plurality of supery imposed, adjacent layers of fabric or other suitable material having a tapered, stepped, or cascaded construction thicknesswise of the top of the collar and so arranged that the thickest portion 1 of the core is coextensive with the tips or wings fibrous material, e. g., wool felt, or by other means equivalent to those disclosed herein. It will be appreciated that the filler will be relatively thin compared to the other fabric portions of the collar in order not to unduly increase its bulk, and that the desired rigidity may be obtained by the selection of suitably sized textile material or of other material, or by the relative laying of the plies thereof as hereinbefore specified. Moreover, it is within the purview of my invention to increase or decrease the number of layers constituting the reinforcement, or to dispense with the single extended layer I5. Additionally, I ma if desired, incorporatesimilar reinforcing in the band together with that in the top, or alternatively, reinforce only `the band for specific purposes.

By positioning the steps of the several layers toward the interior `face of the top of the collar,

the ironing operation is ineffective to impress the outstanding edges of the layers I6, 23, and 25 on the exterior or exposed face of the collar, which would otherwise detrimentally affect the appearance of the garment. Moreover the disposition of the layers may be such that the layer I6 adjacent the lining I may be of a predetermined length, that the succeeding layer 23 of shorter length, and the next layer longer than layers I6 and 23, or any other arrangement which will provide a reinforcement tapered from a, thicker zone at the tip to a thinner zone at the mid-line of the collar.

Another important advantage of my improvement resides in dispensing with the starching of the collar and thereby increasing the period of useful wear. It will be recognized that starching substantially reduces the life of the garment, the detrimental effects being first evident in fabric breakage at the turn.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate .by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:`

1. A shirt collar of the soft, folded type including a band and a top in folded relation to said band, said top including a principal reinforcing element coextensive with said top and of the same depth thereas, and a plurality of pairs of additional reinforcing elements of the same depth as said principal reinforcing element superposed on said principal element, each of the corresponding members of said pair lying toward the outer lateral ends of the top, the outer edges of said additional elements being coincident with the edges of said principal element, and the inner edge of each member of each pair of additional elements lying further inwardly of the collar than the inner edge of each member of the next adjacent pair, the stepped edges so resulting being positioned toward the inner face of the top, and lines of stitching joining said additional elements to said principal element, and the said top and reinforcing elements being secured together along their coterrninous edges.

2. A shirt collar of the soft, folded type having tips and including a band and a top, said top including an outer fabric layer and an inner fabric layer, and a lining positioned between said layers, said lining including a principal stifl'ening member substantially coextensive with the top, and a plurality of pairs of additional stiifening members superposed on said principal member, corresponding members of each pair lying adjacent each of the tips, each said additional member associated with each tip being smaller in area than the next adjacent member, the additional member of largest area being juxtaposed to the principal member, the principal and additional members being `coterminous at the tips and longitudinal edges of the top, and the principa1 and additional members being joined along the inner edges of the additional members by stitching transversely of the top, and the said layers, lining, and Stiifening members being joined along their coterminous edges.

3. A shirt collar of the soft, folded type having tips and including a band and a top, said top including an outer fabric layer and an inner fabric layer, and a lining positioned between said layers, said lining including a principal stiffening member substantially coextensive with the top, and a plurality of pairs of additional stiffening members superposed on said principal member, corresponding members of each pair lying adjacent each of the tips, each said additional member associated with each tip being smaller in area than the next adjacent member, the principal and additional members being coterminous at the tips and longitudinal edges of the top, and the principal and additional members being joined along the inner edges of the additional members by stitching transversely of the top, and the said layers, lining, and stiffening members being joined along their coterminous edges.

4. A shirt collar of the soft, folded type having tips and including a band and a top, said top including an outer fabric layer and an inner fabric layer, and a lining positioned between said layers, said lining including a principal stiffening member substantially coextensive with the top, and a plurality of pairs of additional stiftening members superposed on said principal member, corresponding members of each pair lying adjacent each of the tips, the several said additional members each being of different area, the principal and additional members being coterminous at the tips and longitudinal edges of the top, and the principal and additional members being joined along the inner edges of the additional members by stitching transversely of the top, and the said layers, lining, and stiffening members being joined along their eoterrninous edges, whereby said collar is thickest at the said tips and diminishes in thickness toward the midpoint laterally thereof.

EMANUEL O. HIRSCH. 

